LANSING, MI – A fixture on the local food scene was in
the wrong place at the wrong time Tuesday: under the Americans for Prosperity
tent on the lawn of the state Capitol when it collapsed, allegedly at the hands
of pro-union protesters.

Clinton Tarver operates a popular hot dog stand at the
corner of Michigan Avenue and Capitol Avenue, across from the state Capitol,
from March to November each year.

In the offseason, he takes on catering work.

Tarver was set up under the Americans for Prosperity
tent, his wife, Linda Lee Tarver, said Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, he got caught up in the mayhem yesterday," she said.

Tarver had been hired by the conservative, anti-union
group to cater in the tent the group set up.

When the tent came down, allegedly at the hands of
pro-union protesters, Tarver and his catering equipment were caught inside.

His cart was not on-site, Linda said.

She estimates the equipment losses totaled at least $500;
other losses include supplies, condiments, coolers and food. He crawled out of
the tent.

Tarver, who is black, was also the victim of racially-charged
verbal attacks, his wife, Linda, said.

On her Facebook page, she wrote that union protesters
called her husband "an Uncle Tom [n-word]" when he attempted to retrieve his
equipment from the collapsed tent.

"When he came back to get his stuff, people called him
the n-word," she said. "They said he deserved what he got and he was on the
wrong side. I think they thought he was part of [Americans for Prosperity]."

But Clint is not a political man, she said; she herself
is, and has been involved with Americans for Prosperity.

Community members have rallied in support, raising more
than $10,000 to replace Tarver's damaged equipment and offset losses.

"We're just overwhelmed by the outpouring of prayers and
donations and generosity," she said.

As for her husband, he is fine, she said.

"He really showed to me a great restraint and humility,"
she said. "He didn't get in a fist fight; he didn't let the loss ... really take
the best of him."

Protesters tear down a tent erected by Americans for Prosperity, which supports right to work bills before the legislature. J. Scott Park | MLive.com

The Tarvers agreed not to bill the AFP for the catering,
since the organization would need to replace the ruined tent.

Democrats in the state House of Representatives issued a statement condemning the violence and expressing support for Tarver.

"Everyone who works in and around the state Capitol
knows Clint Tarver as 'the hot dog guy,' a man who is appreciated for his
smiles and friendly greetings as much as he is for the food he serves," Katie Carey, press secretary for the House Democratic caucus, said in a statement.

"The House
Democratic Caucus was disappointed to learn that some of his equipment was
damaged during 'right-to-work' protests yesterday. Violence of any kind is
never acceptable, and it's particularly dismaying when it happens to someone so
beloved by the Capitol community," she said. "We look forward to supporting Tarver's
business and hiring him to cater a caucus lunch next year."